Just need a little info: Cowboy shooters

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Dwight55

New member
I make belts & holsters as a hobby, . . . have no desire to make a full fledged business out of it (it's just too much fun to have to worry & sweat about it :D) and I wanted to make a couple of "display" rigs to take to our next county fair.

My question simply is what do you estimate to be the three (3) most popular handguns used in the cowboy action shooting? A buddy of mine is in the mounted shooting, . . . he says virtually all of the guys in his group use a clone of the Colt SAA, . . . .45LC, . . . 4+ inch barrel.

I wanted to make different holsters than just the one, . . . but don't know what other guns to make them for, . . . could use a bit of help on this one.

Thanks in advance for all your assistance,

May God bless,
Dwight
 
From what I have seen, the mounted shooters prefer the shorter barreled pistols like the Colt SAA. Then there are the Rugers such as Vaquero, New Vaquero and the even shorter Montado with a 3 3/4" barrel.
Now for the regular Cowboy Action Shooters who don't shoot from a horse, the above are common with the exception of the Montado as it is not allowed. Also the barrel lengths run from the 4 5/8 to 7 1/2. There is a wide variety there.
That is what I have noticed any way. Hope it helps.
 
I'd say the Colt clones and Ruger New Vaquero with 5 1/2" barrels are most prevalent. S&W Schofield's are getting popular as are Colt and Remington C&B's. Most seem to want their rigs period correct as in no drop loop or fast draw holsters. Also as you probably know good cowboy holsters are thick, stiff leather, 8-10 oz. Mexican Single or double loop like this Cheyenne single loop are popular only in a double rig.

belt1.jpg
 
I think I've posted it before. It's actually my daughters rig. It now has the matching left strong side too. Here's a pic of her wearing it when we first started getting her outfitted.
Summer010.jpg

It was made by Brazos Jack of Eutowah Leatherworks. Mine was made by him too but it's a plain jane double loop Cheyenne with no border tooling or loops. I don't have pics of it.
 
id say the most popular gun that i have seen so far is the Ruger Vaquero in a 4-3/4 barrel in 45 colt or 38/357....i shoot Uberti Cattlemans and they are pretty much the same "look" and size
 
Something thats hard to find , for the black powder shooters ..holster belts without the bullet loops ..3 inches wide ...I ended up buying the leather and makeing mine .
 
Thanks, everyone for your input, . . . special thanks to Hawg for sharing the pics of your daughter and her rig.

Too bad, Sundance, I didn't know you earlier, . . . could have helped you out maybe.

Thought I'd share a pic of my rig, . . . I don't compete, . . . it's just for display.

May God bless,
Dwight
 

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Dwight, you do nice work but a question. Why are your bullet loops so wide and why are the bullets in them bottomed out to the rims?
 
Thanks for the good words, Hawg, . . .

That design is from an old West "laced" belt, where the loops literally are loops of leather coming from the other side of the leather belt. Each loop goes both ways through the same hole as opposed to sewing on the loops like the mfg who did your daughter's rig.

I prefer the laced or looped belt, and it is partially personal experience. I have had leather gun belts for 40 years or so, . . . and all were eventually prone to losing rounds, . . . except this one.

The old West belt carried them just like this one, fully to the rim, and long enough to cover all the brass, . . . making it really hard to lose a round. And, . . . yeah, . . . I like this better, too. It is somewhat harder to make a belt this way, . . . 'specially if you have any arthritis in your hands, . . . but the finished product can be more authentic, . . . depending on where one is looking.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
Maybe so on the belt and loops but the holster is a modern fast draw design first produced in the 1950's. Early holsters covered most of the trigger guard, all of the cylinder and part of the hammer.
 
Yep, . . . you're right on that one, Hawg. All the older pics I have seen seem to show a more covered weapon in those holsters.

I guess if I was a cowboy back then, . . . I would have wanted mine covered, in fact, . . . I might have opted for a "flap over" similar to some of the old cavalry rigs, . . . just so the thing didn't eat so much dust.

And you are also correct on the little discs, . . . they are connected to a ribbon of leather that goes between the two thicknesses that make the back of the holster, . . . and keep the weapon from bouncing out of the holster. You talking about a trick, . . . making the tool I use to make those straps, . . . hope I don't ever lose the one I have.:eek:

May God bless,
Dwight
 
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